Timoney Knox law firm takes 1st place in Corporate Spelling Bee

For the second consecutive year, a three-person team of super spellers from Timoney Knox LLP, a Fort Washington-based law firm, has been crowned c-h-a-m-p-i-o-n in the Corporate Spelling Bee sponsored by the Montgomery County Literacy Network to raise funds for its work with functionally illiterate adults. Another TK team finished third.

The winning word? Oleaginous, an adjective meaning “resembling or having the properties of oil; 2) marked by an offensively ingratiating manner or quality.”

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“It was exciting to win for the second year in a row,” said Patricia A. Stillwell, legal assistant at Timoney Knox and a member of this year’s and last’s winning teams. She was joined this year by TK associate Christine O’Brien, who also was on last year’s first place team, and TK partner John J. McAneney, a last minute entry.

The annual Corporate Spelling Bee raises thousands of dollars for MCLN’s work with functionally illiterate adults. It is estimated that 10 percent of adults are classified as such in Montgomery County.

In advance of the spelling bee, which pitted more than a dozen corporate teams against each other, contestants were given a list of 1,000 potential spelling bee words. To study, Stillwell and her teammates split the list into thirds.

“None of us had ever heard of oleaginous before preparing for the spelling bee,” she said.

And none of them could have foreseen the hitch that would threaten their repeat as champs. No Spell Check, a computer spelling program, could help them. Not even a loxocosm — last year’s winning word, meaning a device to show how the inclination of the earth’s axis causes the day’s length to vary from season to season — could save the day.

“On the day of the event, one of our team members was ill and unable to participate,” said Stillwell.

The TK team turned to a law firm colleague.

“Without time to prepare, John McAneney stepped in and proved to be a real asset,” she said.

So much so, the TK squad found itself just one word away from victory — or elimination.

Faced with the correct spelling of oleaginous, the trio huddled.

“Christine O’Brien was familiar with the winning word from studying the list and was confident about its spelling,” said Stillwell.

The contest, which grew more difficult with each passing round, drew from former Scripps Howard spelling bee lists.

MCLN, an all-volunteer agency begun about 20 years ago, links Montgomery County adults who need literacy help with county organizations that provide it, and offers a path toward a General Educational Development diplomas, English as a Second Language and Adult Basic Education programs.

For additional information on the Montgomery County Literacy network, call 215-721-9930 or visit www.mcln.org. For more information about Timoney Knox, visit www.timoneyknox.com.